Despite Overcast Conditions, Coney Island Packed With Those Hanging Onto Summer
CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Despite overcast conditions, Coney Island was packed with New Yorkers wanting to hold onto the last bit of summer Saturday.
"It's one of those things, once you're in the water, you start to get comfortable," Franklin Imber told CBS 2's Matt Kozar.
Imberd braved the ocean waves along with thousands at Coney Island undeterred by the cloudy skies.
Both the beach and the boardwalk were crowded, as were the lines for the Thunderbolt, one of the many rollercoasters, Kozar reported.
"September is over all of our shoulders. I think everyone wants to be out here and enjoying themselves. That last deep breath of fresh air. I've got the sea breeze. It's really an extraordinary weekend," Luna Park's Marketing Manager Nicola Purmal said.
Before the official arrival of fall, and although Saturday's weather had a hint of fall, New Yorkers and tourists alike tried to enjoy whatever was left of summer.
One couple was out celebrating; after being friends for 40 years, they just got engaged and thought the boardwalk would be a fun place to spend the day.
No restaurant on the Coney Island Boardwalk has experienced more Labor Days than Ruby's, which opened in 1934, making it 80 years old.
"Literally we have thousands who I like to call regular irregulars-- people that come here maybe once a year, or maybe one every 10 years," owner Mike Sarrel said.
Elizabeth Cruz and her daughter were visiting from Boston.
"When you come here, you're in a different world," Cruz said.
It's a different world with characters that bartender Stephanie Gotara is all too familiar with.
"Last year, I had a couple get engaged in front of me," she said.
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